This invention relates generally to a lamp socket and a socket assembly used in an automotive lamp, and more particularly to a lamp socket, to which wires can be directly connected, and also to a socket assembly employing these lamp sockets.
FIG. 7 shows one example of related lamp socket used in an automotive lamp. This lamp socket 1 includes a bulb mounting portion 1a, in which a bulb 3 can be mounted, a flange portion 1b, and a connector housing 1c for fitting on a power supply connector 13. Terminal members 2 for electrical connection to the bulb 3 project into the interior of the connector housing 1c. 
As a preliminary step before the mounting of the lamp socket 1, wires 7 are installed on a lamp unit body 5 as shown in FIG. 9. More specifically, the wires 7 are received respectively in connection portions 4 disposed adjacent to a socket mounting hole 6, as shown in FIG. 7, and a press-connecting terminal 8, having press-connecting blades 9, is inserted into this connection portion from the upper side, so that the press-connecting blades 9 cut a sheath 10 of the wire 7, and come into contact with a conductor 11 thereof, as shown in FIG. 8.
Then, the lamp socket 1 is mounted in the socket mounting hole 6, so that the terminal members 2 of the lamp socket 1 are contacted with the press-connecting terminals 8, respectively, and therefore are electrically connected to the wires 7, respectively. When the bulb 3 is attached to the bulb mounting portion 1a of the lamp socket 1, the terminal members 2 are electrically connected to the bulb 3. In this manner, the plurality of lamp sockets 1 are arranged on the lamp unit body 5, and are connected together through the wires 7 to form a lamp unit.
However, since the above related lamp socket 1 does not have any connection portion for the wires, the wires 7 must be installed on the lamp unit body 5. Therefore, each time the configuration of the lamp unit body 5 is changed, the arrangement of the lamp sockets 1, the installation of the wires and so on need to be changed, and therefore there was encountered a problem that the assembling operation was complicated, so that the cost increased.
And besides, since the lamp sockets 1 are attached afterwards, there are occasions when the lamp socket 1 is mounted in a wrong position (In this case, the circuit is not established). In order to prevent such wrong attachment, wrong attachment prevention ribs 12 of different shapes are provided on the respective lamp sockets as shown in FIG. 10 so that the lamp sockets 1A, 1B and 1C can be distinguished in appearance from one another. Their shapes are thus different from one another, and therefore there was encountered a problem that the number of molds increased, so that the cost increased.